Football

• NFL Playoffs-Divisional Round…Home teams this weekend have combined (30-2) homefield record.
• Ravens-Patriots..Matchup of Tom Brady-vs-Joe Flacco…Brady (4109-33TD)..Flacco (29TD)…Brady (12-3) Postseason at home…Flacco won 7-road playoff starts in career…Tremendous challenges for defenses…Ravens strong secondary has to detail with Rob Gronkowski-Julian Edelman combo (174R)…Patriots have to contain Steve Smith-Torrie Smith…21-degrees-Sunny weather in forecast.

• Panthers-Seattle..Seahawks defense has allowed 3TDs in last 6-games..Allowing (267YPG) on defense..Russell Wilson (4350APY-26TD)…Marshawn Lynch (4.7YPC)…Cam Newton-last 4G (7TD-2Int)…Panthers without starting DE-DT…Seattle won 23-of-24 at home…50-degrees-overcast in weather.

• Cowboys-Green Bay..Aaron Rodgers has minor tear of calf-limiting scrambling..Packers (8-0) at Lambeau..Cowboys (8-0) on road this year..Packers (386YPG)-Cowboys (384YPG) on offense…Rodgers (38TD)..Tony Romo (36TD) …RB-DeMarco Murray (1945R)…Eddie Lacy (1139R)…WR-Dez Bryant (90R)…Jordy Nelson-Randall Cobb combined (189R)…20-degrees-sunny in forecast.

• Colts-Broncos..Denver practiced all week outdoors in 16-degree weather..Peyton Manning-rest injured thigh during bye week (4727P-39kTD)…Andrew Luck (5137-42TD)…WRs-Demaryius Thomas (111R)-Emmanuel Sanders (101R)..Colts (407YPG)-Offense..Broncos (403YPG)…Break in weather-43 degrees-sunny.

• NFL..Robert Mueller releases 82-page probe of League handling of Ray Rice incident..Conclusion-NFL did not know of 2nd elevator video-no evidence league …Reviewed 60,000-documents-Emails-Cell Phone records-every NFL executive…Roger Goodell forthright in all interviews…Criticized league for deferring to police probe to gather information….NFL did not have proper disciplinary policy in place to deal with domestic incidents…Criticized Ravens for filing report that Janay Rice drunkenness caused the blackout-discounting violence of Rice punch…Giants owner John Mara expresses NFL full confidence in Goodell leadership.

• Chicago..Bears hired Ryan Pace-Saints-as new General Manager.
• Jets..2nd interview with Mike Maccagnan-Houston Texans-for vacant GM job…NY interviewed 7-GM candidates-6 coaching candidates last week.
• Falcons..Elevate Scott Pioli to run NFL draft and total scouting
• Cleveland..Kyle Shanahan-Off Coor..QB-coach Dowell Loggains-both resign because of interference in handling of Brian Hoyer-Johnny Manziel
• Browns..Interview longtime NFL assistant Charley Weis for Off Coor job.
• Falcons..Interview-Todd Bowles-Arizona-tomorrow for coaching post.
• Giants..Interview Rahim Morris-Redskins for Def Coor job.
• Tampa Bay..hires Dirk Koetter-Falcons-as new Off Coor

• Chargers..OT-Jeromey Clary-retires after two hip surgeries-spent 9Y with Chargers-most as starting OT-then-OG.
• Bears..CB-Tim Jennings arrested-DUI..on way to Parent-Teacher meeting at school.
• Seattle..RB-Marshawn Lynch loses appeal-fined $100,000-for repeated violations-boycotting media.
• Miami..Rob Konrad-former starting FB-saves life-swims 9-miles off West Palm Beach after falling out of motorboat.

• Hall of Fame…15 Finalist released…Junior Seau-Chargers makes list as first timer as does quarterback Kurt Warner-Rams-Cardinals and running back Terrelle Davis-Broncos….Coach Don Coryell…John Lynch..Tim Brown..Coach Tony Dungy are holdovers from last year’s list.
• Alabama…Record setting WR-Amari Cooper-files for NFL draft as do S-Landon Collins..RB-TJ Yelden.
• Michigan..Hires Jedd Fish-Passing game coordinator-just fired Jacksonville Jaguars Off Coor
• Houston..Hires Major Applewhite-ex Texas Longhorns Off Coor.
• Michigan State..Hires Mark Snyder-ex Texas AM-Def Coor

Baseball

• Tigers..Not reopening contract talks with FA-P-Max Scherzer-refusing to put together (200M) package.
• Cardinals..Open trade talks with Phillies for P-Cole Hamels
• Mets..Reject trade overtures from Rockies-SS-Troy Tulowitzki-unwilling to take on  bulk (118M) contract.
• Pirates..1B-Gabby Sanchez signs-Rakuten Eagles-Japan.
• Indians..SS-Johnny McDonald retires after 16Y-career.
• Orioles..Sign-FA-C-JP Arencibia-C-Toronto

• Padres..Sign-FA-P-Marcus Mateo-Cubs farm system.
• Padres..AAA-El Paso-Pat Murphy-return as manager…AA-San Antonio-Elevate Jamie Quirk from Class A.
• Nationals..Hire-Rick Ankiel-minor league coach.

• Washington..OF-Jason Werth needs immediate surgery-labrum-shoulder-should be ready by opening day.

• Athletics..Sign 10Y-Lease to stay at Oakland Coliseum-deal gives Owner Lewis Wullf chance to develop some land rights at Coliseum sight.
• PBS-TV..Antique Roadshow discovers 1870-baseball card collection in attic Boston home..Valued 1M.

Basketball

• Lakers-Orlando…Tonite..LA (11-25)..Magic (13-25)
• Golden State-Cavaliers…Warriors (28-5)…Cavs lost 6-of-7 with LeBron James injury.

• Houston-W-Knicks..New York-Lost 14-row-club record…(5-34)…Lost 24-of-25

• Brooklyn Nets..Injury prone G-Deron Williams out of lineup with fractured ribs.
• Milwaukee..Sign FA-C-Kenyon Martin.

• Aztecs..Off this weekend…(12-4)…(2-1) in Mountain West Conference.
• Saturday Schedule..
• Colorado State-Air Force..Rams (14-2).
• New Mexico-Utah State..Lobos (10-5)
• Wyoming-Boise State..Cowboys (14-2)..(3-0) in league.

• USD-W-Loyola Marymont (59-50)…Guards Chris Anderson-Johnny Dee combine (32P)..C-Jito Kok-school record 8-blocked shots..USD (9-8)
• UCLA-W-Stanford..(89-81)..Bruins erupt from 7-games of poor shooting to burn (10-3) Cardinal
• Oregon..Coach Dana Altman and University sued by woman-charged raped by 3-Ducks basketball players-University knew of incident-allowed players to play.

Hockey

• JP Parise….Legendary Minnesota North Stars captain-1970s-passes away (71Y)..father of Minnesota Wild star Zach Parise.
• Kings-L-Rangers (4-3)…New York erupts for 3-goals late in 2nd period vs-Jon Quick..Rangers take back-to-back wins in Anaheim-LA.-

General

• Muhammad Ali…Hospitalized since December 20th with severe infection-returns to Louisville Home…Suffering from Parkinson’s-Alzheimers.

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